Combined life-preserver and diving-suit.



Wrrzvsssss c. s. ALTOONIAN.

COMBINED LIFE PRESERVER AND DIVING SUIT. APYLICATIO'VN FILED AuG.28. 1916.

1,233,160. Patented July 10, 1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

INYENTOR M WM BLW L C. S. ALTOONIAN.

COMBINED LIFE PRESERVER AND DIVING SUIT.

APPLICATION FILED AUGIZBI ISIS.

1,233,160. Patented July 10, 1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2- WITNESSES y; NVEN R JI Md a W C.S.ALT1(})ON1AN. COMBINED LIFE PRESERYER AND DIVING SUIT. APPLICATlONIILEQ AUG.28, 1916.

1,233, 1 60. v Patented July 10, 1917;

3 SHEETSSHEET 3- Wlr/vEssEs J I-vs- TOR wzuw CHARLES S. ALTQONIATV, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND. i

COMBINED LIFE-PRESERVER AND DIVING-SUIT.

7 Application filed August 28, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CI-rARLns S. ALTOONIAN, a citizen of, the United States, residing in the city of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Life-Preserver and Diving-Suit, of which the following is a specification.

An object of this invention is to provide a combined life preserver and diving suit which shall be simple in construction, easily applied in use and in sz'tu will be thoroughly effective in supporting the weight of a human body in the water, andwhen necessity compels may be brought to a condition in which the user will be effectively guarded suit'which shall be simple in construction' and easily applied to use, and which requires" no connection with the surface while v the wearer is under thewater, as the diver is suit,

:grovided with the necessary supply of air is as free, under the water as a fish, his movements being in no way interfered with. The life savers could use this invention to save the lives of drowning persons without any danger to themselves. With the above and other objects in view, as will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood; the same could be used in case of fires, astheffiremen could use this to protect their bodies from the heat and from the smoke while on duty, "and also people who, caught in a fire could safely escape by means of this invention; an invention that will be very useful on landand on seagas being light and easy to use.

The invention is embodied in the e eeifieconstruction. and combination of parts here-" inaftcr described, and illustrated'in the accompanying drawings. in whicl1 Figure 1 'is a face View of the doublewalled cloth trousers forming,,part of the 2 is a top view 6f the trousers.

Fig. 3 is a face view the double-walled cloth helmet. i

Fig. 4 includes a side and plan view of a rubber or wooden perforated plug through which rubber tubes pass, as shown in Fig. 10.

= Fig. 5 is a face view of rubber trousers Specification of Letters Eat-cut.

' Patented July 10, 1917.

Serial no. 117,337.

adapted to be worn over the double-walle cloth trousers.

Fig. 6 is a face view of a rubber .helmet adapted to be worn over the'double-walled cloth helmet.

Fig. 7 is a side view of a sheet-metal cane teen or holder for the divers air-supply.

Fig. 8 is a face view of the invention com plete.

Fig. 9 is a top or plan of the double-walled cloth trousers and rubber trousers.

line

helmet or cover shown in Fig. 6, all of which parts are assembled in Fig. 8.

. The cloth trousers and cloth helmet may be made of any suitable material, such as bleached or unbleached bed-sheeting, which, when dampened or soaked in water, becomes air-proof in water, and, also water-proof as long as the garment is filled with air.

As seen in Figs. 1 and 2, double-walled trousers have drawstrings 1 at the top and drawstrings 2 at the bottom of the leg port-ions. It is apparent these means enable the trousers to be secured water-tight around I the body and legs of the wearer. e

Perforated rubber plates or disks 3 and 4 are cemented to the trousers, and soft-rubber tubes 5 are inserted through -them and provided with mouth-pieces 6, for use .ininflating the trousers. The mouth-pieces are screwed on the tubes, so that they may be readily attached or removed, as conditions require. 7

' In F ig.' 2 the letters L L indicatethe leg extensions of the double-walled trousers. 'Before putting on the latter, they are first soaked or dampened and then drawn on and after the drawstrings 1 and 2 have been tied tightly the garment is inflated by blowing into the mouth piece 6 whereby the outer wall of the trousersis suitably distended.

The double-walled headcover or helmet shown in Fig. 3 is providedat the bottom...

to a mouth hole 10, which is for use 1n res piration.

The numeral 11 in same figure indicates a perforated disk secured on the side of the helmet, through which a flexible rubber tube 12,provided with a mouth piece 13 is in serted.

In practice this mouth piece is provided with a valve (notshown), which seats out( ward.

14 indicates peep holes provided with protecting eye glasses. The numeral 22, Fig. 6, indicates eye glasses in the helmet coincident with the peep holes 14 in the inner helmet.

. The helmet is applied to the person of the wearer in an obvious manner, and every draw string save 9, is drawn tightly.

In practice, in using the apparatus as a.

life preserver, the wearer provides himself with rubber gloves and with rubber boots for his feet, and in such case the. draw strings of the sleeves of the helmet and the drawstrings of the legs of the trousers are securely tied, so that the wearers hands and feet will be inside of the apparatus and thus protect him from dampness and cold. When the wearer is out of the Waterair is discharged from the apparatus by pressing inward the pins (not shown) of the valves of mouth pieces 6 and 1K Whether the apparatus be used as a life preserver or diving suit, a drawstring 20 is tied around the body under the arm pits, as shown in In putting on the rubber trousers shown in Fig. 5, flexible rubber tubes 5 are passed through holes 17 and secured. Then the rubber helmet, Fig. 6, is put on and flexible tubes having mouth pieces 6 are inserted uses the hand bicycle pump 16 shown in Figs. 5 and 8, and pumps in a quantity of water in order to sink as far as he desires.

He stops pumping and unscrews the helmet cap 23 shown in Figs. 6 and 8, to allow waterto fill up around the head of the wearer, and also fill the sleeve. This 3.1( 1S 1IrS1I1king quickly and saves time. The a1r 1n the trousers suflices to float the wearer. The

- water entering the suit serves as a weight to cause sinking, and even if this latter compresses the air a little it does not prevent breathing or floating again when the wearer wishes to come up, who occurs as soon as he-unties the draw strings 15 and 20. As shownin Figs. 1 and 2, only the tube 5 which is on the right and connects with holder shown in Fig. 7, he should-seejf he the trousers or inner wall at i is used for iniiation, and the other or left tube which. connects at 3, is used for foul or used air while the wearer is under water. I It must be understood that the wearer using fresh air by means of .thc rightdiand tube 5, 6, 4 (Figs. 1 and 2), throws the used or foul a1r into the empty chamber by means of the left hand tube 5, 6, 2, so the wearer has the same air about him all the time while even in the water.

After the diver has used all the fresh air provided by the mouth piece 6, he must shut ;off the tap 2 which is located directly under the fork of the flexible rubber tube 5, see Fig. 8. He then turns the tap 27 Fig. 8, and the tap 25, forming an attachment of the canteen, Fig. 7. The air in the. holder or canteen, Fig. 7, is highly com pressed, say 25 or 35 atmospheres, so that 35 when turned on the. air will force itself.- into the flexible rubber tube 5, Fig. '8. Said tube being connected with. the air chamber, must be inflated with care so as to conserve and supply fresh air and not overflow theexhaust chamber. It must be understood that the diver must not use the air within the double cloth helmet, Fig. 3, through the mouth piece 13, for if he empties the fresh. i air from the helmet, he has no meansof-es refilling it under water.

After using all the fresh air available parts 6, 5, t, and the canteen the diver isci obliged to come up by using mouth piece- 13of the helmet,'wbich will not take tooi .100,- much fresh airout of the helmet. Wluin the diver wishes to 30111011 9 he must letthe water run off by untying the drawstrings 15 of the legs of the rubber ""ouscrs Fig.5, and must also untic the dra' .ings 20 of the rubber helmet Fig. Q andmust raise his arms at the same time over his head, in order to let the water run out of the sleeves. Then by springing upward he 5 rises like a balloon to the surface ct ti. ter. The diver can put his hands under the rubber helmet, Fig.6, and through the drawn strings 20 under the arm pits, which strings are already untied, He then unties the drawstrings 9 of the 'pouth hole 10, and pulls out of place the wood or rubber block, 10, in order to getcfresh air It'is .to -,be understood that if the diver desires; to,.go,. down. again, he must empty all the used air by pressing the pins ofguiouth pieces 6 and 13 without taking off the .aer mt a Recapitulating the foregoing in part, h, after the diver has donned-,the complete S1111) shown in Fig. 8, and has inflated the double-- 1 walled cloth helmet andtrousers, and ad: 135, justed the -air canteen, knapsack, or air q.

can breathe freely. Next, after entering the water, he first 'unscrews the 23 of the rubber helmet, and than uses, the hand I as he (xesimsu 11131118 (Figs. iianil 8) in m'er m farm 7 in Water empugh. to muse i2; i0 sixlk as hi3 screws en the helmet Whe-n he steps 52111151251131,

5 .shu; Qfi' cannect ion with the surrmmding bay 0f waiter, and this makes -c1.1shi0n.0f air and Water around 511% Then the diver breathes fr air by the right tube 5 6, 4, and bimvs me el s head.

10 used 01 foul-air, into by the Raff, t ube 5, 6, 3.

' In using the appam firemen the operation the = empty chamber his in pmtecgion of 1s substanmaly figs same as :54); use ofthe apparatus 393? a aiivsrt lciai'm; h' we mbimfi life prseserver and diving suit, a pan of floubh-wafi cloth trousers, and a duunle'mail da'zh helmet, means for, inflating the same, in combination with rubbm' trousers, and a rubber helmetadapced is he wnm ever the firstmamed truusem and he .m 'i, as dascribe.

In. testimqny Where's)? I 'afib; my sigmamuse, in presence of two witnesses.

GHALRLES So :LTOONIAX.

EVE-masses:

Lama; A. BASINET, 11mm Zmzrcmmxz. 

